IFPA celebrates 20th Anniversary!

IFPA·article·analyzed·Feb 24, 2026

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.013

TL;DR

IFPA marks 20-year anniversary with 150k players, 51 countries, 95k events.

Summary

The IFPA celebrates its 20th anniversary on February 27, 2025, marking two decades since the organization was revived in 2006 by Steve Epstein and Roger Sharpe. The WPPR system now tracks nearly 150,000 players from 51 countries and manages nearly 95,000 sanctioned events globally. The announcement emphasizes the role of hundreds of volunteers in supporting competitive pinball worldwide.

Key Claims

IFPA was revived on February 27, 2006 when AMOA assigned rights to Steve Epstein and Roger Sharpe
high confidence · Official IFPA announcement; verifiable historical fact
WPPR system now contains nearly 150,000 players from 51 countries
high confidence · Official IFPA statement; quantifiable metric
Nearly 95,000 sanctioned events are in the WPPR system
high confidence · Official IFPA statement; quantifiable metric
Hundreds of volunteers help IFPA operate competitive pinball globally 24/7
high confidence · Official IFPA acknowledgment of volunteer workforce

Notable Quotes

“On February 27th, 2006 the AMOA assigned the rights of the then defunct IFPA over to Steve Epstein and Roger Sharpe to see if they could elevate the awareness and visibility of pinball across the globe.”
IFPA — Historical milestone defining the modern era of competitive pinball organization
“Thanks to everyone for the continued support, but most importantly to the hundreds of volunteers that help the IFPA truly cover the globe in competitive pinball 24/7.”
IFPA — Emphasizes volunteer-driven infrastructure as core to IFPA operations

Entities

IFPAorganization Steve Epsteinperson Roger SharpepersonAMOAorganizationWPPRorganization

Signals

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business_signal: IFPA growth trajectory: scaled from initial revival to 150k players, 51 countries, 95k events
high · Quantified metrics in official statement demonstrating 20-year expansion
?
event_signal: IFPA 20th anniversary celebration on February 27, 2025
high · Official announcement of anniversary date and historical milestone

Topics

IFPA history and milestoneprimaryCompetitive pinball growth metricsprimaryGlobal pinball tournament infrastructuresecondaryVolunteer-driven community operationssecondary

Sentiment

positive(0.85)— Celebratory tone highlighting growth achievements and community gratitude. Forward-looking optimism about future directions.

Transcript

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This upcoming Friday, February 27th marks the 20 year anniversary since the rebirth of the International Flipper Pinball Association. On February 27th, 2006 the AMOA assigned the rights of the then defunct IFPA over to Steve Epstein and Roger Sharpe to see if they could elevate the awareness and visibility of pinball across the globe. The World Pinball Player Rankings now has nearly 150,000 players from 51 countries and nearly 95,000 sanctioned events in the system. Thanks to everyone for the continued support, but most importantly to the hundreds of volunteers that help the IFPA truly cover the globe in competitive pinball 24/7. We’re looking forward to seeing where we can take things in the years ahead!